Late night hosts are not impressed with GOP senators' questions for Ketanji Brown Jackson

"Today in Washington it was Day 2 of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson," Jimmy Fallon said on Tuesday's Tonight Show. "Judge Jackson spent all day answering questions. Meanwhile, can we see the Republican senators who were asking them? Gosh, looks like the Employee of the Month wall at Cracker Barrel."
Yes, "Republicans used the opportunity to try to portray Jackson as soft on crime," James Corden said on The Late Late Show. "How soft are Republicans talking here, do we think? Like, not handing out maximum sentences levels of soft, or, you know, deciding to look the other way after Jan. 6?"
"It's funny listening to the same people who let the president get away with trying to overthrow the government call anyone soft on crime, but this is how it goes," Jimmy Kimmel agreed on Kimmel Live. Jackson's opening statement Monday "got praise from both sides of the aisle," he added, "but not every Republican was impressed. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Josh Hawley were like, 'You lost us at Katanji.'"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Hawley, "what a creep this guy is," he "spent much of his 30 allowed minutes reading a list of child porn videos from a case the judge worked on — he did, that's not a joke," Kimmel said. "He's trying to, like, throw meat to these QAnuts, and also smear a woman who's a mother of two daughters and quite clearly not pro–child porn."
"But despite the gratuitous attacks, Judge Jackson's been very cool under pressure," Kimmel said. "If you haven't been watching this hearing, this will tell you all you need to know: We decided to compare and contrast questions from the Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee."
"Meanwhile, we are getting more details about what happened behind the scenes of Donald Trump's presidency from Kid Rock, of all people," Kimmel said. "Kid Rock sat down for an interview with Tucker Carlson last night" and "told him a crazy story about a visit to the White House during which he, Kid Rock, was asked to weigh in on the standoff with Kim Jong Un." Yes, "for about two minutes, Kid Rock was our secretary of defense," he joked. "Tucker was so excited to be with a rock star, he was laughing" hysterically, "then Kid Rock gave him a wedgie, a swirly, and sent him home in tears."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Scattered Spider: who are the hackers linked to M&S and Co-op cyberattacks?
The Explainer 'Decentralised and adaptive', its mainly English-speaking members operate like an 'organised criminal network'
-
The best birdwatching spots in the UK
The Week Recommends Grab your binoculars to spot puffins, oystercatchers and chiffchaffs
-
'Making memories': the scourge of modern parenting?
In The Spotlight Meghan Markle sends her children emails of each day's 'moments' but is constant 'memory-making' just another burden for parents to bear?
-
Trump is not sure he must follow the Constitution
speed read When asked about due process for migrants in a TV interview, President Trump said he didn't know whether he had to uphold the Fifth Amendment
-
Trump judge bars deportations under 1798 law
speed read A Trump appointee has ruled that the president's use of a wartime act for deportations is illegal
-
Trump ousts Waltz as NSA, taps him for UN role
speed read President Donald Trump removed Mike Waltz as national security adviser and nominated him as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
-
Trump blames Biden for tariffs-linked contraction
speed read The US economy shrank 0.3% in the first three months of 2025, the Commerce Department reported
-
Trump says he could bring back Ábgego García but won't
Speed Read At a rally to mark his 100th day in office, the president doubled down on his unpopular immigration and economic policies
-
Canada's Liberals, Carney win national election
Speed Read The party of Prime Minister Mark Carney beat Conservative Pierre Poilievre thanks in part to Trump's trade war
-
Trump's 100-day approval ratings at historic low
Speed Read Americans appear to be wary of Trump's sweeping tariffs and handling of the economy
-
Judge blocks key part of Trump's elections overhaul
Speed Read Colleen Kollar-Kotelly's decision temporarily bars federal officials from requiring Americans to prove they are citizens to register to vote